Tribal Relations Committee Works for Progress on Reservation

Laramie, Wy – The current Speaker of the House says the legislature's Tribal Relations committee had to mend some fences during a meeting in Lander this week. Fred Parady says that's due to the fact that the governor's tough language in dealing with the Northern Arapaho tribe. He says that's probably due to the fact that the governor is a prosecutor and is used to speaking in strong language, but Parady says that is not advancing common understanding. The governor and the Northern Arapaho have had disagreements over a contract to provide social services on the reservation, and over funding the Tribal Liaison position. Parady says the legislature's committee was successful in repairing the relationship between the tribe and the state. Meanwhile, less than two weeks after the Tribal Liaison position in the state disappeared the legislature's Tribal Relations committee voted to fully fund it again. The Liaison position ended because the Northern Arapahoe did not cover its share of the cost. But, Parady says under this new proposal the state would pay for the entire cost of the liaison. He says it is important to continue making progress on the reservation. Parady says the Tribal Relations committee is also in favor of moving towards the creation of an umbrella policy for interaction between the state and Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes.